diff --git a/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java b/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
index 229e383039..2decfbdd9f 100644
--- a/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ import org.springframework.util.LinkedMultiValueMap;
 import org.springframework.util.MultiValueMap;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 import org.springframework.web.util.DefaultUriBuilderFactory;
-import org.springframework.web.util.UriComponentsBuilder;
 
 /**
  * Base class for http outbound adapter/gateway.
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends Abstrac
 	 * {@link org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate}. The default value is
 	 * <code>true</code>.
 	 * @param encodeUri true if the URI should be encoded.
-	 * @see UriComponentsBuilder
+	 * @see org.springframework.web.util.UriComponentsBuilder
 	 * @deprecated since 5.3 in favor of {@link #setEncodingMode}
 	 */
 	@Deprecated
@@ -295,6 +294,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends Abstrac
 	}
 
 	@Override
+	@Nullable
 	protected Object handleRequestMessage(Message<?> requestMessage) {
 		HttpMethod httpMethod = determineHttpMethod(requestMessage);
 		if (this.extractPayloadExplicitlySet && logger.isWarnEnabled() && !shouldIncludeRequestBody(httpMethod)) {
@@ -320,34 +320,32 @@ public abstract class AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends Abstrac
 		return exchange(uri, httpMethod, httpRequest, expectedResponseType, requestMessage, uriVariables);
 	}
 
+	@Nullable
 	protected abstract Object exchange(Object uri, HttpMethod httpMethod, HttpEntity<?> httpRequest,
 			Object expectedResponseType, Message<?> requestMessage, Map<String, ?> uriVariables);
 
 	protected Object getReply(ResponseEntity<?> httpResponse) {
-		if (this.expectReply) {
-			HttpHeaders httpHeaders = httpResponse.getHeaders();
-			Map<String, Object> headers = this.headerMapper.toHeaders(httpHeaders);
-			if (this.transferCookies) {
-				doConvertSetCookie(headers);
-			}
-
-			AbstractIntegrationMessageBuilder<?> replyBuilder;
-			MessageBuilderFactory messageBuilderFactory = getMessageBuilderFactory();
-			if (httpResponse.hasBody()) {
-				Object responseBody = httpResponse.getBody();
-				replyBuilder = (responseBody instanceof Message<?>)
-						? messageBuilderFactory.fromMessage((Message<?>) responseBody)
-						: messageBuilderFactory.withPayload(responseBody); // NOSONAR - hasBody()
-
-			}
-			else {
-				replyBuilder = messageBuilderFactory.withPayload(httpResponse);
-			}
-			replyBuilder.setHeader(org.springframework.integration.http.HttpHeaders.STATUS_CODE,
-					httpResponse.getStatusCode());
-			return replyBuilder.copyHeaders(headers);
+		HttpHeaders httpHeaders = httpResponse.getHeaders();
+		Map<String, Object> headers = this.headerMapper.toHeaders(httpHeaders);
+		if (this.transferCookies) {
+			doConvertSetCookie(headers);
 		}
-		return null;
+
+		AbstractIntegrationMessageBuilder<?> replyBuilder;
+		MessageBuilderFactory messageBuilderFactory = getMessageBuilderFactory();
+		if (httpResponse.hasBody()) {
+			Object responseBody = httpResponse.getBody();
+			replyBuilder = (responseBody instanceof Message<?>)
+					? messageBuilderFactory.fromMessage((Message<?>) responseBody)
+					: messageBuilderFactory.withPayload(responseBody); // NOSONAR - hasBody()
+
+		}
+		else {
+			replyBuilder = messageBuilderFactory.withPayload(httpResponse);
+		}
+		replyBuilder.setHeader(org.springframework.integration.http.HttpHeaders.STATUS_CODE,
+				httpResponse.getStatusCode());
+		return replyBuilder.copyHeaders(headers);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java b/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
index d6f7fa40a0..bbc2bed4aa 100755
--- a/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ public class HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends AbstractHttpRequestExecu
 	}
 
 	@Override
+	@Nullable
 	protected Object exchange(Object uri, HttpMethod httpMethod, HttpEntity<?> httpRequest,
 			Object expectedResponseType, Message<?> requestMessage, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
 
@@ -197,7 +198,13 @@ public class HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends AbstractHttpRequestExecu
 				}
 			}
 
-			return getReply(httpResponse);
+			if (isExpectReply()) {
+				return getReply(httpResponse);
+			}
+			else {
+				return null;
+			}
+
 		}
 		catch (RestClientException e) {
 			throw new MessageHandlingException(requestMessage,
diff --git a/spring-integration-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/webflux/outbound/WebFluxRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java b/spring-integration-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/webflux/outbound/WebFluxRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
index 8fcd0402a6..525ad8565f 100644
--- a/spring-integration-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/webflux/outbound/WebFluxRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/webflux/outbound/WebFluxRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
@@ -204,9 +204,82 @@ public class WebFluxRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends AbstractHttpRequestEx
 	}
 
 	@Override
+	@Nullable
 	protected Object exchange(Object uri, HttpMethod httpMethod, HttpEntity<?> httpRequest,
 			Object expectedResponseType, Message<?> requestMessage, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
 
+		WebClient.RequestBodySpec requestSpec =
+				createRequestBodySpec(uri, httpMethod, httpRequest, requestMessage, uriVariables);
+
+		Mono<ClientResponse> responseMono = exchangeForResponseMono(requestSpec);
+
+		if (isExpectReply()) {
+			return createReplyFromResponse(expectedResponseType, responseMono);
+		}
+		else {
+			responseMono.subscribe(v -> { }, ex -> sendErrorMessage(requestMessage, ex));
+			return null;
+		}
+	}
+
+	private Object createReplyFromResponse(Object expectedResponseType, Mono<ClientResponse> responseMono) {
+		return responseMono
+				.flatMap(response -> {
+							ResponseEntity.BodyBuilder httpEntityBuilder =
+									ResponseEntity.status(response.statusCode())
+											.headers(response.headers().asHttpHeaders());
+
+							Mono<?> bodyMono;
+
+							if (expectedResponseType != null) {
+								if (this.replyPayloadToFlux) {
+									BodyExtractor<? extends Flux<?>, ReactiveHttpInputMessage> extractor;
+									if (expectedResponseType instanceof ParameterizedTypeReference<?>) {
+										extractor = BodyExtractors.toFlux(
+												(ParameterizedTypeReference<?>) expectedResponseType);
+									}
+									else {
+										extractor = BodyExtractors.toFlux((Class<?>) expectedResponseType);
+									}
+									Flux<?> flux = response.body(extractor);
+									bodyMono = Mono.just(flux);
+								}
+								else {
+									BodyExtractor<? extends Mono<?>, ReactiveHttpInputMessage> extractor;
+									if (expectedResponseType instanceof ParameterizedTypeReference<?>) {
+										extractor = BodyExtractors.toMono(
+												(ParameterizedTypeReference<?>) expectedResponseType);
+									}
+									else {
+										extractor = BodyExtractors.toMono((Class<?>) expectedResponseType);
+									}
+									bodyMono = response.body(extractor);
+								}
+							}
+							else if (this.bodyExtractor != null) {
+								Object body = response.body(this.bodyExtractor);
+								if (body instanceof Mono) {
+									bodyMono = (Mono<?>) body;
+								}
+								else {
+									bodyMono = Mono.just(body);
+								}
+							}
+							else {
+								bodyMono = Mono.empty();
+							}
+
+							return bodyMono
+									.map(httpEntityBuilder::body)
+									.defaultIfEmpty(httpEntityBuilder.build());
+						}
+				)
+				.map(this::getReply);
+	}
+
+	private WebClient.RequestBodySpec createRequestBodySpec(Object uri, HttpMethod httpMethod,
+			HttpEntity<?> httpRequest, Message<?> requestMessage, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
+
 		WebClient.RequestBodyUriSpec requestBodyUriSpec = this.webClient.method(httpMethod);
 		WebClient.RequestBodySpec requestSpec;
 
@@ -222,100 +295,42 @@ public class WebFluxRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends AbstractHttpRequestEx
 		if (inserter != null) {
 			requestSpec.body(inserter);
 		}
+		return requestSpec;
+	}
 
-		Mono<ClientResponse> responseMono =
-				requestSpec.exchange()
-						.flatMap(response -> {
-							HttpStatus httpStatus = response.statusCode();
-							if (httpStatus.isError()) {
-								return response.body(BodyExtractors.toDataBuffers())
-										.reduce(DataBuffer::write)
-										.map(dataBuffer -> {
-											byte[] bytes = new byte[dataBuffer.readableByteCount()];
-											dataBuffer.read(bytes);
-											DataBufferUtils.release(dataBuffer);
-											return bytes;
-										})
-										.defaultIfEmpty(new byte[0])
-										.map(bodyBytes -> {
-													throw new WebClientResponseException(
-															"ClientResponse has erroneous status code: "
-																	+ httpStatus.value() + " "
-																	+ httpStatus.getReasonPhrase(),
-															httpStatus.value(),
-															httpStatus.getReasonPhrase(),
-															response.headers().asHttpHeaders(),
-															bodyBytes,
-															response.headers().contentType()
-																	.map(MimeType::getCharset)
-																	.orElse(StandardCharsets.ISO_8859_1));
-												}
-										);
-							}
-							else {
-								return Mono.just(response);
-							}
-						});
-
-		if (isExpectReply()) {
-			return responseMono
-					.flatMap(response -> {
-								ResponseEntity.BodyBuilder httpEntityBuilder =
-										ResponseEntity.status(response.statusCode())
-												.headers(response.headers().asHttpHeaders());
-
-								Mono<?> bodyMono;
-
-								if (expectedResponseType != null) {
-									if (this.replyPayloadToFlux) {
-										BodyExtractor<? extends Flux<?>, ReactiveHttpInputMessage> extractor;
-										if (expectedResponseType instanceof ParameterizedTypeReference<?>) {
-											extractor = BodyExtractors.toFlux(
-													(ParameterizedTypeReference<?>) expectedResponseType);
+	private Mono<ClientResponse> exchangeForResponseMono(WebClient.RequestBodySpec requestSpec) {
+		return requestSpec.exchange()
+				.flatMap(response -> {
+					HttpStatus httpStatus = response.statusCode();
+					if (httpStatus.isError()) {
+						return response.body(BodyExtractors.toDataBuffers())
+								.reduce(DataBuffer::write)
+								.map(dataBuffer -> {
+									byte[] bytes = new byte[dataBuffer.readableByteCount()];
+									dataBuffer.read(bytes);
+									DataBufferUtils.release(dataBuffer);
+									return bytes;
+								})
+								.defaultIfEmpty(new byte[0])
+								.map(bodyBytes -> {
+											throw new WebClientResponseException(
+													"ClientResponse has erroneous status code: "
+															+ httpStatus.value() + " "
+															+ httpStatus.getReasonPhrase(),
+													httpStatus.value(),
+													httpStatus.getReasonPhrase(),
+													response.headers().asHttpHeaders(),
+													bodyBytes,
+													response.headers().contentType()
+															.map(MimeType::getCharset)
+															.orElse(StandardCharsets.ISO_8859_1));
 										}
-										else {
-											extractor = BodyExtractors.toFlux((Class<?>) expectedResponseType);
-										}
-										Flux<?> flux = response.body(extractor);
-										bodyMono = Mono.just(flux);
-									}
-									else {
-										BodyExtractor<? extends Mono<?>, ReactiveHttpInputMessage> extractor;
-										if (expectedResponseType instanceof ParameterizedTypeReference<?>) {
-											extractor = BodyExtractors.toMono(
-													(ParameterizedTypeReference<?>) expectedResponseType);
-										}
-										else {
-											extractor = BodyExtractors.toMono((Class<?>) expectedResponseType);
-										}
-										bodyMono = response.body(extractor);
-									}
-								}
-								else if (this.bodyExtractor != null) {
-									Object body = response.body(this.bodyExtractor);
-									if (body instanceof Mono) {
-										bodyMono = (Mono<?>) body;
-									}
-									else {
-										bodyMono = Mono.just(body);
-									}
-								}
-								else {
-									bodyMono = Mono.empty();
-								}
-
-								return bodyMono
-										.map(httpEntityBuilder::body)
-										.defaultIfEmpty(httpEntityBuilder.build());
-							}
-					)
-					.map(this::getReply);
-		}
-		else {
-			responseMono.subscribe(v -> { }, ex -> sendErrorMessage(requestMessage, ex));
-
-			return null;
-		}
+								);
+					}
+					else {
+						return Mono.just(response);
+					}
+				});
 	}
 
 	@Nullable